

Kagame: ‘Never seen this much attention’ to ending Africa war
US diplomacy under President Donald Trump has a bigger chance of success because it focuses on transactional deals that “translate into improvements of people’s lives” instead of “theories about democracy, freedom and human rights”, argues Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Kagame, who has led Rwanda …

Trump says US economy is in a ‘golden age’. Do Americans agree? | The Bottom Line
United States President Donald Trump insists he’s “created the greatest economy in the history of our country”, but to middle-class and poor Americans, argues economist Peter Atwater, the president sounds out of touch. Atwater tells host Steve Clemons that the economy has taken on a “K” shape, whe…

Why is Saudi Arabia doubling down on its relations with the US?
United States President Donald Trump “looks at Saudi Arabia like a piggy bank or an ATM machine” and that’s why the recent Saudi-US summit focused on deals instead of strategic regional issues, such as Sudan, Palestine, Iran and Syria, argues political scientist Gregory Gause, professor emeritus of…

Does the rise of Mamdani indicate a major shift in the US | The Bottom Line
After the capital of capitalism voted for socialism and Democrats in two states trounced Republicans, United States President Donald Trump is worried that he won’t be able to impose his domestic vision for the nation, Republican strategist John Feehery argues. Feehery tells host Steve Clemons that…

Who has the upper hand in China-US relations? | The Bottom Line
The United States and China have declared a truce in the trade war launched by US President Donald Trump in April, argues Evan Medeiros, former US National Security Council director for China. Medeiros tells host Steve Clemons that the deal reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump re…

Does Trump’s Gaza plan stop Israel’s genocidal agenda? | The Bottom Line
Trump’s Gaza plan is in danger of going the way of the Oslo Accords, argues US journalist Chris Hedges: Never to be implemented beyond the first phase. Hedges tells host Steve Clemons that there are no guarantees that the US-brokered deal “will actually thwart the genocidal project that Israel is …

Can the Gaza ceasefire hold? | The Bottom Line
The US has forced Israel to end its war on Gaza, but now the challenge is “to be engaged every single day, several times a day” to make sure the ceasefire holds, says Israeli American activist Gershon Baskin, the cofounder of Alliance for Two States. Baskin tells host Steve Clemons that President …

Why is Trump deploying forces to US cities? | The Bottom Line
Arguing that some places in the United States – primarily those governed by Democratic officials – are rampantly crime-infested, President Donald Trump has been deploying military forces to cities from Los Angeles to Washington, DC. Former National Security Council official Kori Schake tells host …

Can a ‘one-sided, unserious’ US plan deliver peace to Gaza? | The Bottom Line
The US plan to end Israel’s war on Gaza is designed, supervised and administered “primarily by people who are very staunchly pro-Israel,” and has little chance of delivering peace, argues Stephen Walt, professor of international relations at Harvard University. “We’ve seen this movie before,” Walt…

Recognising Palestine vs holding Israel accountable? | The Bottom Line
French official Pascal Confavreux says the French-Saudi initiative takes the two-state solution "out of the moral danger" it was in. Pascal, spokesperson of the French Foreign Ministry, tells host Steve Clemons that France aims to end Israel’s war on Gaza by sidelining Hamas, reshaping the Palesti…